Movie Websites Launches for February 13 - February 19

February 19th, 2004

During the past week promotional websites for several movies were launched and some older ones added additional content. Here the list of this week's releases, a couple of new sites and few updates including the winner for the week, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen - Official Site . If you know of any new movie websites not on this list feel free to e-mail me with the details.

Against the Ropes
Current Content: This site has been up for months without any real update. Having the site launched all at once means it makes a larger impact. However, if it is launched this way too early, then people will stop coming back and it will have lost its effectiveness as a marketing tool before the movie hits the theatres.

The Best Two Years
Current Content: I have a problem with the background music on this site. It's too quite, too repetitive and if you turn it off, when you go to anther section of the site, it gets turned back on. The site itself has the usual features, but it spends almost as much time on the production notes as it does all the rest of the content combined.

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen
Current Content: An introduction by Lindsay Lohan was added to the site, as was most of the content previously marked coming soon. Production notes, cast and crew bios were added, as was the song generator. The song generator helps you write lyrics by having a list of words you can drag and drop onto your song. I'd show you my song dedicated to my sweet chocolate queen, but it's too personal. That and it's so bad reading it can cause a brain hemorrhage. There are still two features marked coming soon, Clips and Weblog. I have to comment again on the use of sound; there are plenty of audio clips and except for a small problem with the looping the background music is almost perfect. But a small flaw in the music isn't going to cost this site a chance at winning the sensational Weekly Website Award.

Connie and Carla
Current Content: A placeholder site with just the synopsis, cast and crew list (no bios), trailer and an image gallery.

Decoys
Current Content: A good site that his all the basics, (synopsis, trailer, TV spot, cast and crew bios, image gallery, etc.) And while there is plenty of animation, there's no sound outside the trailer / TV spot. There's also a fun mini-game, and I do mean mini. It's tiny. The instructions are also very hard to read, but you use your mouse to move and the arrow keys to fire.

Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights
Current Content: Facts about the original movie were added to the site. Considering how little the two movies have in common, (outside telling the same basic story) this is quite amusing.

Eurotrip
Current Content: A big chunk of new content was added this week, including the regular features. But most impressive was the number of media clips on the site. More than a dozen clips, interviews, behind the scenes, etc. are there to watch. Unfortunately, when I was checking out the site it took a long time to load these, even for the lo-res versions. There is background music, but it doesn't add to the enjoyment of the site.

The Girl Next Door
Current Content: The flash site launched this week but besides a few downloads and three song clips in the background, there's nothing here that wasn't on the placeholder site. There is also a section for clips but it is marked coming soon. The format is quite well done with a little bit of animation for each section.

Hellboy
Current Content: The Freak Corridor was added to the B.P.R.D. It's another sound and animation heavy section.

Home on the Range
Current Content: Another flash site that launched this week. Like the previous site mentioned, this one doesn't have a whole lot of content. Synopsis, trailer, image gallery, character bios and clips for half a dozen songs. Each section begins with animation and an audio clip, so at least the format is well done. And there is one more section, Downloads and Games, marked coming soon.

I'm Not Scared
Current Content: Typical Miramax site with the trailer.

Intermission
Current Content: Typical IFC website with synopsis, character bios and the trailer.

The Ladykillers
Current Content: A rather long and in-depth behind the scenes look was added to the site. This is either a very impressive placeholder site, or the main site is being built one piece at a time.

Laws of Attraction
Current Content: The flash site launched, but there's not much in the way of content. Only the synopsis, trailer, image gallery, bios of the two main characters and e-cards are there at the moment. There are also no features marked coming soon, but with the release date over 2 months away I expect a lot more information to be added before then.

The Prince and Me
Current Content: There's plenty of animation on this site, but no sound. There is a section for the soundtrack, so background music might be added later on. The central feature of the site is a personality quiz, and unlike most sites that have a quiz this one is woven throughout the site. So you'll find a question here, and a question there. Each section has an animated intro, but the lack of sound it troublesome, but hopefully that will change. Most of the bios are marked coming soon, as is the section for video clips.

Raising Helen
Current Content: Just a placeholder site with no actual content.

Secret Window
Current Content: This is the third incarnation of the placeholder site. Very similar to the other two combined. There is a lot of content on this site, in fact, so much content that it might not be just the placeholder site. Synopsis, cast and crew bios, trailer, TV Spot, image gallery and a very extensive set of production notes. There is also a bit of sound and animation. This is either a very good placeholder site, or a slightly disappointing final site. We’ll find out in a few weeks if there are no more updates before the movie is released.

Shrek 2
Current Content: Another flash site that launched this week. Almost. It's takes a really, really long time to load up the intro, and when I click on, 'Enter the site' nothing happens. I'll check back later and see if the situation has improved.

Finally made it in, and it's the old site with just the new trailer and some downloads added. I assume more will come as the release date nears.

Starsky and Hutch
Current Content: The Pinball Game was added to the site, so I'll be spending a lot of time researching this website, just in case the game changes. It's purely a professional interest and I didn't play the game for more than an hour to write this short review.

Thunderbirds
Current Content: Just the synopsis and a screen saver so far.

Walking Tall
Current Content: This site has a very involving intro. In fact, for now there is more information in the intro than in the rest of the site. Of course, most of the information on the site is marked coming soon, (bios, production notes, film clips and interviews.)

Welcome to Mooseport
Current Content: Just a day away from its release and the movie site only has a short synopsis, the trailer and an image gallery.

The Whole Ten Yards
Current Content: Typical Warner Bros. placeholder with just the synopsis, image gallery and the trailer.